"BIRKENSTOCKS ARE A NEED, NOT A WANT" Zeke Callaghan
WE'VE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AS OF 31 AUGUST 2020!!
WE'RE RETIRED FROM RETAIL!!
WE WERE OLD SCHOOL - WE NEVER WERE AN ONLINE BUSINESS
In 1986, Zeke started hand-making Western-style futon mattresses and sofa/bed frames because they were practical and comfortable, and began selling Birkenstock® sandals - because they were comfortable and practical. Besides, you might need to sit on something when trying on footwear...
Zeke's small family-run local business became known as the quaint old house in Kensington that made and sold futons, and sold Birkenstock® sandals. Over the years, Zeke built up a reputation of superb customer service and excellent product knowledge based on two quality products related to comfort - for the body and for the feet.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
- attributed to Aristotle
We were the last Western-style futon mattress manufacturer in Alberta. We hand-made our futons on site in our shop. When our excellent cotton supplier in Burnaby, BC, retired at the end of 2018, we considered getting cotton directly from the USA or through our futon frame supplier in Ontario. The logistics were impossible. We realized we should retire from futons and focus on the Birkenstocks®.
We always took pride in ensuring our customers were fitted correctly in Birkenstock® footwear - it's part science and part art to get the fit right. Wrong style, wrong fit = unhappy feet. Our policy was to get the right style, right fit = happy feet.
And now, The Birkenstock Store in Calgary has gone out of business...What? Why?
A number of reasons: increasingly we were affected by the online show-room tactics of internet shoppers looking for free Birkenstock® fitting services. Unlicensed backchannel resellers have been offering extreme discounts, but no customer service, no correct fitting, and no quality control. Birkenstock® Germany took over the Canadian distributorship as of October 2019 in a bold move to prevent unscrupulous businesses ruining the reputation of their wonderful product. We understand that Birkenstocks® may eventually be sold through a controlled corporate system, but a small venture like Zeke's wouldn't fit into a corporate business model. He had to close the business someday, so now is a good time to retire, get some exercise, enjoy life... and perhaps get travelling after the Covid 19 restrictions have calmed down...
WE'VE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AS OF 31 AUGUST 2020!!
WE'RE RETIRED FROM RETAIL!!
WE WERE OLD SCHOOL - WE NEVER WERE AN ONLINE BUSINESS
In 1986, Zeke started hand-making Western-style futon mattresses and sofa/bed frames because they were practical and comfortable, and began selling Birkenstock® sandals - because they were comfortable and practical. Besides, you might need to sit on something when trying on footwear...
Zeke's small family-run local business became known as the quaint old house in Kensington that made and sold futons, and sold Birkenstock® sandals. Over the years, Zeke built up a reputation of superb customer service and excellent product knowledge based on two quality products related to comfort - for the body and for the feet.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
- attributed to Aristotle
We were the last Western-style futon mattress manufacturer in Alberta. We hand-made our futons on site in our shop. When our excellent cotton supplier in Burnaby, BC, retired at the end of 2018, we considered getting cotton directly from the USA or through our futon frame supplier in Ontario. The logistics were impossible. We realized we should retire from futons and focus on the Birkenstocks®.
We always took pride in ensuring our customers were fitted correctly in Birkenstock® footwear - it's part science and part art to get the fit right. Wrong style, wrong fit = unhappy feet. Our policy was to get the right style, right fit = happy feet.
And now, The Birkenstock Store in Calgary has gone out of business...What? Why?
A number of reasons: increasingly we were affected by the online show-room tactics of internet shoppers looking for free Birkenstock® fitting services. Unlicensed backchannel resellers have been offering extreme discounts, but no customer service, no correct fitting, and no quality control. Birkenstock® Germany took over the Canadian distributorship as of October 2019 in a bold move to prevent unscrupulous businesses ruining the reputation of their wonderful product. We understand that Birkenstocks® may eventually be sold through a controlled corporate system, but a small venture like Zeke's wouldn't fit into a corporate business model. He had to close the business someday, so now is a good time to retire, get some exercise, enjoy life... and perhaps get travelling after the Covid 19 restrictions have calmed down...